Personality Traits and Behavioral Intention in the Public Sector: Mediating Status Quo Bias and Planned Behavior Theory

Abstract

Public sector transformation efforts in Indonesia frequently encounter behavioral resistance at the individual level, creating a persistent gap between policy intent and actual system adoption. This study examines how personality traits shape the behavioral intention of civil servants to accept organizational change, with status quo bias and theory of planned behavior constructs serving as mediating mechanisms. A quantitative cross-sectional approach using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied to a sample of 67 civil servants at the Regional Financial and Asset Management Agency (BKAD) of Malang City. Results confirm that personality traits exert a significant positive influence on behavioral intention (β = 0.244, p = 0.013), status quo bias (β = 0.576, p < 0.001), and theory of planned behavior constructs (β = 0.640, p < 0.001). Both mediating variables transmit the effect of personality traits to behavioral intention significantly, with the theory of planned behavior proving to be the stronger mediator (β = 0.302, p < 0.001) compared with status quo bias (β = 0.179, p = 0.010). The overall model explains 79.4% of the variance in behavioral intention. These findings highlight the central role of individual psychological factors in determining readiness for bureaucratic reform and digital governance in Indonesian public institutions.